Adding, Changing, Deleting, and Restoring Print Filters

Print filters are added, changed, deleted, or restored on the print server only.

You can use the lpfilter command to manage the list of available filters. System information about filters is stored in the /etc/lp/filter.table file. The lpfilter command gets the information about filters to write to the table from filter descriptor files. The filter descriptor files that are supplied (PostScript only) are located in the /etc/lp/fd directory. The actual filter programs are located in the /usr/lib/lp directory.

The LP print service imposes no fixed limit on the number of print filters you can define. You can remove filters that are no longer used to avoid extra processing by the LP print service. (LP examines all filters to find a filter that works for a specific print request.) If in doubt, do not remove a filter.

As you add, change, or delete filters, you can overwrite or remove some of the original filters provided by the LP print service. You can restore the original set of filters, if necessary. You can also remove any filters you have added.

SunOS software provides a default set of PostScript filters. Solaris Print Manager automatically adds these filters to a print server. Some of the TranScript filters used with LPD-based print services have SunOS equivalents, but other TranScript filters do not. The following table lists the default PostScript filters and identifies the equivalent TranScript filters, where applicable.

The SunOS software does not provide the following filters:

• TEX

• oscat (NeWSprint opost)

• Enscript

The postreverse, postprint, postio, and dpost filters are provided in place of Enscript.

Solaris Print Manager adds the default PostScript filters to a print server. If you have printing needs that are not met by these filters, see How to Create a New Print Filter. This section provides information about writing a custom print filter.